Signal for automotive vehicles



Sept. 25, 1923. 1,468,830

A. S. OUZOONIAN SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed May 17. 1.922 2Sheets-Sheet l ept. 25, 1923. M68330 A. S. OUZOONIAN SIGNAL FORAUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES File M y 17. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M FPHSU ag! a?avwemto'a I. 0

. Q a: Q 351 'lbto'onaw I M Patented Sept. 25, 1923.

-uulrno STA-ES SAMUEL OUZOONIAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TOLITO-FONE COMPANY, INC., 01 NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES.

Application filed May 17,

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ARAM SAMFUEL OUZOONIAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,

residing in the city of New York, borough of a certain form ofembodiment thereof,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing one form of instrument embodying theinvention in eldvation;

Figure 2 is a view. of the instrument of Figure 1- with. the coveropened to show the interior construction thereof;

Figure 3 is a view showing a vertical section through Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view illustrating one form of control mechanism foroperating the direction signals; and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the instrument and circuitstherefor operatively mounted on an automotive vehicle.

Similar characters of reference designate similar arts in each of theseveral views.

The instrument illustrated in Figure' 1 consists of a sheet-metal casing1 provided with a cover 2 hinged at its lower edge as indicated at 3.The cover consists of a channelled frame A open at the upper edge asindicated at 5, so as to permit of the insertion'into the frame of theconventional license plate 6 and a sheet of translucent glass 7,preferably white in color. The characters of the license plate arestenciled out, as indicated in Figure 1, so that the white lines o thestencils, thus rendering the numbers very clearly visible. For nightdriving the interior of the casing is illuminated, as

hereinafter explained, so that the characters v of the plate arerenderedeven more plainly visible, as .will be readily understood.

The cover is held in its closed position by means of resilient clampingmembers 8 rigplate of glass will appear in the out- 1922. Serial No.561I607.

idly secured on the upper face of casing 1. By virtue of this featurethe casing may readily be'opened for inspection of the interior partsand for the replacement of lamp bulbs provided in the casing, as hereinafter described.

The upper face of the casing is provided with a compartment 9, theinterior'of which is open to the interior of the casing 1, a portion 10of the upper wall of casing 1 having been removed, as clearly indicatedin 'Figure 3. The face of compartment 9 is provided with a lens or bullseye 11, preferably red in color. Behind this lens are mounted a pair oflamps 12 and 13, the latter being preferably of larger candle power thanthe former. amp 12 is constantly illuminated by a circuit, hereinafterdescribed and serves thus to provide the ordinary tail-light of avehicle. The light from this lamp, moreover, enters into the interior ofthe casing 1 through openin 10 and illuminates the plate 7, thusrenering the sten ciled. characters of the license plate clearly visibleat night.

Lamp 13 is operated only-at intervals, as

hereinafter described, for the purpose of giving a stop or cautionsignal indication. The intensity of lamps 12 and 13 combined is fargreater than that of lamp 12 alone, so that the lens or bulls eye 11 isilluminated far more brilliantly thanv before. This intensifiedillumination of lens 11 constitutes the stop or caution indication. Thesudden change in brilliancy of lens 11 is very clearly noticeable andcertain to catch the eyeof the operator of a car in the rear, so thatthe chance that the signal will be overlooked is reduced toa minimum. 1

Mounted on the left and right ends ofi casing 1 are a pair of chambers14 and 15, respectively, preferably substantially hemi spherical inshape. These chambers are each providedwith lenses 16 and 17,respectively, lamps l8 and 19 being mounted in .the chambers behind thelenses. The last-mentioned chambers are separated from the interior theoperator in a manner hereinafter de- I scribed to indicate'that thevehicle is about.

'2. A cover plate 26' pivoted at 27 to make, or is making, a turn to theleft or to the right, respectively. The colors of lenses 16 and 17 arepreferably red, similarly to the tail light 11. A change of direction istherefore indicated by a pair of lights, a left turn being signalled bythe appearance of a light to the left of the normally illuminated taillamp, and a turn to the right bein signalled by the appearanceof a lightto t e right of the normally burning tail-light. These indications, itwill again be observed, areunmistakable in character and clearly visibleto the operators of ve hicles.

To facilitate the replacement of bulbs 18 and 19 in chambers 14 and 15,the walls 20 and 21 are provided with openings normally covered byshutters 22 slidable in a guide frame 23. These shutters are merelylifted upwardly in the guides when a replacement or insggction of thecompartments 14 and 15 is to made.

In the interior of easing 1 is mounted a small oil lamp 24 which isintended to be used in case of emergency, as for example, when thenormal tail light 12 fails to operate. This is a feature of greatconvenience to the operator in the operation of the vehicle in that itprovides an ever present and convenient substitute for the normal taillight when the same is in inoperative condition. An opening 25 may beprovided in'the rear wall of easing 1 to permit of the lighting of lamp24 without the removal of cover is provided to hold opening 25 normallyclosed. Ventilating openings 50 are provided in the upper and lowerwalls of casing 1 to suppl the necessary air for the operation of thelamp.

I ,The control of lamps 18 and 19 for signalling a left turn and rightturn, respectively, is effected by means of push switches 32 and 33,respectively, (Figure 4), aflixed to arms 34 which are mounted on thesteering post of the car by clamping mechanism 35. The switches arepreferably mounted a short distance below the steering wheel 36indicated in Figure 4 in dot-and-dash lines, the object being to permitthe driver of the vehicle to operate the push buttons by the index orother convenient finger without taking his hands off the steering wheel.

When the operator of the vehicle is desirous of making a turn, say, tothe left, he depresses push button 32 some time before he reaches thepoint at which he desires to make the turn, thus giving the drivers ofother vehicles a warning in advance. Ordinarily the push button 32 willbe actuated one or more times to cause an intermittent flashing of theturn signal to draw the at tention of persons in the front or rear ofthe vehicle toothe operators intention to turn. As he reaches the pointat which the right, the operator first depresses button 33 one or moretimes with his index finger to flash an advance warning and thereuponturns the wheel, causing the signal to be maintained illuminated whilethe vehicle is turning. 'When the. vehicle again proceeds straightahead, the signal automatically disappears. y

The hereinabove described signal device is mounted on the vehicle at aconvenient place in the rear, as indicated diagrammaticallyin Figure 5,and a similar instrument may be mounted on the front of the car to serveas an indicator for counter trafiic or as a signal to the traflic policeat crossings. The signal device mounted on the forward end of the carwill be similar to the one hereinbefore mentioned, except that the lens11 will preferably be colored green instead of red, and lamp 13 will beentirely omitted. The emergency lamp in' this case serves to provide agreen light in the front of the car in case of failure'of the ordinaryelectric head light. Even if the entire electric lighting system of thecar should fail, therefore, the emergency lamp will provide a head lightand a tail light as well as an illuminated license plate, so that thevehicle may be operated in full compliance with the law. 5

The preferable form of circuit connections are diagrammaticallyindicated in Figure 5. The circuits of lamps 12 of the front and rearsignals are governed by a switch 38 mounted in any'convenient position,asfor example, on the dash-board. The circuits of the left turn signallamps 18 are governed by the switch 32 hereinbefore described, and thecircuits for the right-turn signal lamps 19 are governed by switch 33.The circuit for stop light 13 is governed by the switch 28 operable bythe service brake lever of the car, so that the stop indication isproduced whenever a service application of the brake is made. Thecontacts of switch 28 are preferably set so far apart, however, that thesignal indication will not appear upon a slight application of thebrake, such as is made for effecting a small reduction in speed. Thestop signal will, therefore, appear only when the brakes are appliedwith sufficient force to effect a considerable reduction in speed or anactual stop.

Although only a certain form of embodi ment of the invention is shownand dethat many changes and modifications may be made therein within thescope of the following claims without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for governing the turn signal of a vehicle, aself-opening switch for controlling the signal mounted below thesteering wheel in position to be manually operated prior to the turnwithout removing the hands from the steeringlwheel', and a cam mountedon the steering wheel and turning therewith to automatically close thesaid switch and hold the same closed while the vehicle is making a tum2. In a vehicle signalling system, a turn signal, means for operatingsaid signal, said means comprising self-openingswitch mechanism wherebythe said signal may be intermittently flashed to efi'ect a preliminaryindication of the operators intention to turn, and means operableautomatically during the turning movementof the vehicle for holding thesaid switch mechanism closed to efiect a continuous'warning indication.

3. In a vehicle signalling system, left and right turn signals, manuallyand automatically operable means for operating said signals, said meanscomprisinga pair ofslfopening switches mounted in a position contiguousto the rim of the steering wheel of the vehicle so as to enable theoperato'r to operate either of said switches without releasing his holdon the steering wheel, and

means on the steering-mechanism for'autcmatically holding the saidswitch closed while the vehicle is making a turn.

4. In a vehiclesignalling system a. turn signal and means forautomatically operating said signal by the steering mechanism and formanually operating sald signal intermittently, said means including aselfopening switch and means for mounting said switch at a pointcontiguous to and slightly below'the rim of the steering wheel, theoperating member of said switch extending outwardly in a radialdirection whereby the-operator of said vehicle is able to intermittentlyflash the signal without removing his hand from the steering wheel, andmeans operable by the steerin mechanism of the vehicle for holding saiswitch closed during theturning movement of the vehicle.

5. In a vehicle signalling system, left and right turn signals, manuallyand automatically operable means for operating said signals, said meanscomprising a pair of selfopening. switches mounted in a ition contiguousto the rim of the Steering wheel of the vehicle so as to enable theoperator to operate either of said switches without re leasing his holdon the steering wheel, and a single cam on the steering mechanism of thevehicle for automatically holding the said switch closed while thevehicle is making a turn.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature to this specification.

ARAM SAMUEL OUZOONIAN

